Plan for power plant moves forward

A city project to build a combined heat and power plant near
Denton Airport moved a step closer to reality Tuesday as the City
Council approved an engineering contract for a related natural gas
pipeline. IN OTHER ACTION

Also Tuesday, the Denton City Council:• Held a
lunchtime meeting with Texas Woman's University officials to
discuss forming working groups on topics of common interest, such
as university growth and job creation.• Heard an update
on a proposed sustainability plan. Denton received a $1.1 million
grant as part of the 2009 federal stimulus act that included
$138,000 to pay consultants to develop the second phase of a
comprehensive sustainability plan. The plan is expected to be
finished in April.• Discussed changes to the city's 2007
infill special-purpose district ordinance to encourage
redevelopment. The code standards currently apply only to
undeveloped lots in existing neighborhoods but would expand to
include some previously developed lots, under a city staff
proposal. Council members directed staff to draft new code language
while balancing a desire for compatible development and
neighborhood preservation. No vote was scheduled. The 2007 code was
designed to offer flexibility in development standards for people
building on small tracts of empty land inside central Denton, but
only two project applications were submitted.

-Lowell Brown

The council voted 6-0 without discussion to approve a $314,800
contract with engineering firm Teague, Nall and Perkins of Denton
to design the pipeline, following a closed-door meeting. Council
member James King attended the meeting but was not present for the
vote.

City officials believe they could use the facility to attract
industrial companies to the area. The pipeline is critical because
the area lacks the natural gas capacity needed to attract some
industries, officials have said.

Officials declined to discuss details of the project because the
city is still acquiring land. The plant's location hasn't been
announced, but documents provided to the council show the pipeline
could run along Jim Christal Road and Western Boulevard, north of
the airport.

Denton Municipal Electric executive manager Michael Grim touted
the project as another example of DME's environmental leadership,
similar to its commitment to buy 40 percent of its power from wind
energy. The U.S. Department of Energy considers combined heat and
power plants as a green energy source, he said.

The plants produce electricity and thermal energy from a single
fuel source. The facilities are an alternative to the more common
practice of customers buying power from a local utility and burning
fuel in a furnace or boiler to make thermal energy.

Two-thirds of the energy in fuel is lost as vented heat at most
U.S. power plants, according to Environmental Protection Agency
estimates. Combined heat and power plants use heat-recovery
technology to trap some of the heat that would be wasted.

The EPA promotes the plants because of their potential to reduce
fossil fuel use and the associated air pollution, including
greenhouse gases.

State lawmakers passed a bill this year to aid the project,
allowing Denton to sell natural gas to industrial customers located
in a defined economic development zone near the airport. Sen. Craig
Estes, R-Wichita Falls, authored the bill, and Rep. Myra Crownover,
R-Denton, sponsored it in the House.

City spokesman John Cabrales said the council still must pass an
ordinance creating the economic development zone. A vote is
expected in February, he said.

The council discussions have taken place behind closed doors
under a state law that lets city-owned utilities meet with
attorneys privately about competitive matters. The agenda for
Tuesday's meeting also included a closed session on possible land
acquisitions north, east and west of the airport.

The contract approved Tuesday includes engineering and design of
the pipeline and miscellaneous fees. The council followed a
recommendation of its Public Utilities Board and did not approve an
additional $175,000 requested for construction management
services.

Also Tuesday, the council again delayed action on a specific-use
permit that would allow Atmos Energy Corp. to drill a natural gas
storage well south of East McKinney Street, about 900 feet west of
Trinity Road in eastern Denton.

The company operates a gas processing facility on an adjacent
site that includes eight storage wells and a compressor.

The permit's approval was in doubt after city staff members said
the well would be within 600 feet of a residential structure that
may or may not be occupied. City code prevents gas drilling and
production activities within 1,000 feet of homes unless the
applicant obtains a waiver from the property owner or a variance
from a city zoning board.

Atmos officials said they would explore those alternatives. The
council planned to reconsider the issue Jan. 10.

LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address
is lmbrown@dentonrc.com .

Comments

DentonRC.com is now using Facebook Comments. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then add your comment below. Your comment is subject to Facebook's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service on data use. If you don't want your comment to appear on Facebook, uncheck the 'Post to Facebook' box. To find out more, read the FAQ .